



































TED IN MYTHLAND 



“When Jupiter and Juno were seated on the Golden 
Throne, Mercury introduced Ted, who felt very 
small and shy.” — Page 24 >. 


TED 

IN 

MYTHLAND 


BY 

HERMINE SCHWED 


Illustrated by 

M. H. SQUIRE 


NEW YORK 

MOFFAT, YARD & COMPANY 
1907 



LIBRARY of CONGRESS 
Two Copies Received 

AUG 16 !90f 

Cooyriffht Entry 
CLASS e A- aXc., No. 

/3V5^g3 

OOPY B. 



Copyright, 1907, by 
MOFFAT, YARD & COMPANY 


Published August , 1907 


To Laura 

















PREFACE 


In writing these verses I have en- 
deavored to cover the main stories of 
Greek mythology; to tell them as sim- 
pty and unpretentiously as possible; to 
make the gods and goddesses seem more 
like Ted’s friends than stiff divinities; 
and yet to retain, in the end, something 
of the Greek spirit. In other words, I 
want a child to learn these stories 
through his friendliness, his imagina- 
tion, his rhyme sense, and even — I 
might say — his love of fun. So that, 
if any little Theodore or Theodora 
find themselves on familiar, affectionate 
terms with these usually forbidden 


PREFACE 


gods, if they thus learn the old myth 
tales without realizing that they are 
learning anything, and recognize them 
later in life as old friends, then I shall 
have budded well indeed. 

Two of the verses in this book — 
“Iris” and “Juno and Vulcan” — 
were written by my friend, Grace 
Goodale, as well as a part of the prose 
matter. I wish also to acknowledge 
the courtesy of The Youth's Compan- 
ion in allowing me to reprint “Noon.” 
July, 1907. H. S. 


CONTENTS 


PAGE 

Ted in Mythland 1 

The Golden Apples 9 

Juno and Vulcan 15 

The First Story of Midas 21 

Arachne 27 

Noon 34 

Diana, the Queen of the Moon 36 

How Apollo Lent the Sun 39 

The Sunflower’s Story 43 

How Venus Was Born 46 

Apollo and Daphne 51 

The Apple of Discord 54 

Iris 61 

The Talkative Barber 67 

The Dryads 72 

ix 


CONTENTS 

PAGE 

Polycrates 75 

Pandora 81 

Tantalus 87 

Somnus 91 

Hercules and the Hydra 95 

The Fifth Labor of Hercules 100 

The Story of Echo 105 

Narcissus 109 

The Story of the Iron Bed 114 

A Flying Story 117 

The Labyrinth , 122 

A Cricket Song 12 9 

Pyramus and Thisbe 133 

Nemesis 136 

The King of the Sea 143 

The Garden of the Sea 145 

The Winds 150 

The Big Flood ... 153 

The Stag with the Golden Horns 159 


X 


LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS 

When Jupiter and Juno were Seated on the 

Golden Throne Frontispiece 

page 

Ted Cozily Tucked up 1 

Teddy Felt Himself Lifted and Borne Upward 7 

Vulcan 13 

Juno and Vulcan 16 

Midas Grew Hungry and Thirsty 22 

Minerva and Arachne 29 

Phaeton 32 

“Apollo will Play” 38 

Venus and Cupid 48 

Daphne Turning into a Tree 50 

The Judgement of Paris 55 

Pan 63 

Midas and the Barber 66 

Dryads 70 

Polycrates 75 

Nectar and Ambrosia 79 

xi 


LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS 

PAGE 

Pandora and the Box 81 

Hebe and Ganymede 84 

Hercules and the Hydra 97 

Narcissus 110 

Theseus and Procrustes 113 

Theseus and Minotaur 123 

Ted and Cupid 127 

King Neptune 140 

The Bottom of the Sea 141 

Mother was Opening the Door 163 


xii 


TED IN MYTHLAND 




TED, COZILY TUCKED UP. 


TED IN MYTHLAND 

T ED, cozily tucked up on the big 
couch under the brown steamer 
rug, gazed about the room unhappily. 

“I wish,” he said aloud, “that I didn’t 
have to take a nap for the party when 
I’m not sleepy; and I wish somebody 
would tell me a story.” 

[i] 

r 


TED IN MYTHLAND 


Just then he spied upon the mantel, 
a little bronze statue of a young 
man who seemed to be running just as 
hard as he could. He wore no clothes 
to speak of except a cap and pointed 
shoes with wings sprouting out at the 
heels, and he carried in one hand a queer, 
twisted stick. 

“I wonder why he is running so 
hard,” said Ted. 

At this the little bronze man looked 
straight at Ted and put his finger on 
his lips, saying “Sh! Sh!” 

Teddy opened his eyes very wide and 
opened his mouth, too; but he did not 
dare to speak, for he somehow felt that 
he must obey the little man. 

Then the little man smiled and whis- 
pered, “Be very quiet until everybody 
has gone out of the next room. I am 
[ 2 ] 


TED IN MYTHLAND 


Mercury, Messenger of the Gods, and 
I will tell you a story.” 

Ted was dying to ask who the gods 
were, but he kept quite still until he 
heard his mother close the door. Then 
he said, “Who are the gods? And why 
are you always running?” 

“Because messengers should always 
hurry. As for the gods, I suppose you 
never did hear about us; but two thou- 
sand years ago we were very important.” 

“Were, really?” 

“Well, people worshipped us and 
asked us for the things they wanted. 
Now two thousand years ago, you would 
have been asking the god of the winds 
for a pleasant day for your party.” 

“Were there separate gods for differ- 
ent things?” 

Mercury flew up and down a little to 

[ 3 ] 


TED IN MYTHLAND 


try his wings before he answered, 4 ‘Yes, 
the god of the sea, the god of music, 
and ever so many others.” 

“Were there any lady gods?” 

“Oh, yes. They were called god- 
desses.” 

Ted lay quiet for a moment, thinking 
hard. Then he said, “Tell me exactly 
what the gods were. Were they peo- 
ple?” 

Mercury took off his cap and 
scratched his head in a puzzled way, 
“Well, they looked something like peo- 
ple, but they could do a great many 
things that people can’t do. You just 
watch me now.” 

And while Teddjr watched, his eyes 
growing wider and wider, Mercury 
grew and grew until he was as big 
as any man, and came flying down from 
[4] ‘ 


TED IN MYTHLAND 


the mantel, and landed without the least 
bit of a thump on the foot of Teddy’s 
couch. 

Teddy might have been frightened if 
Mercury’s eyes had not twinkled so mer- 
rily as he said, 

“I’ll tell you what. The king and 
queen of the gods are going to give a 
big party this afternoon; and if you like 
I’ll take you to it.” 

“Won’t I be too tired for my own 
party afterward?” 

“No, indeed,” answered Mercury, 
“You see this stick. I’ll just wave it 
twice and before you can say ‘Jack Rob- 
inson’ you’ll be at Mount Olympus, 
where the party is going to be.” 

“Fly there?” asked Ted. 

“Sort of flying. You won’t know 
it.” 


[ 5 ] 


TED IN MYTHLAND 


“But I haven’t been invited,” ob- 
jected Ted. 

“Well, I’d like to know if I’m not in- 
viting you. Remember, I’m one of the 
gods myself.” 

“All right, I’ll go,” said the little boy. 

Mercury lifted his stick. 

“Hold on!” cried Ted, “what is the 
king’s name?” 

“King Jupiter,” answered Mercury. 
“Keep your eyes shut tight. Now you 
may get tired on the way, so we’ll rest 
for a bit on Grandfather Atlas’s shoul- 
der.” 

Teddy got so far as “Who is” — when 
he felt himself lifted and borne upward 
and swept along with deep, delicious 
swings, always higher and higher, then 
set lightly down. 

“Open your eyes,” said Mercury. 

[ 6 ] 


TED IN MYTHLAND 



TEDDY FELT HIMSELF LIFTED AND BORNE 
UPWARD. 


TED IN MYTHLAND 


When Ted looked, he saw that he was 
standing on a bare rock that jutted out 
above the snow. Clouds were all about 
him and the wind blew in fierce gusts. 
Mercury sat quite calmly beside him, 
taking off his shoes, in order to adjust 
his wings more carefully. 

“I know what you were going to ask 
when we swooped off,” he said, unlacing 
the second shoe. “You wanted to know 
who Atlas was. Well, Atlas was my 
grandfather — and now lie’s this moun- 
tain, and while we rest I’ll tell you a 
story about him to keep you warm. The 
story is called: 


[ 8 ] 


THE GOLDEN APPLES 

Old man Atlas was turned to stone — 
And a pretty big stone is he ; 

So exceedingly high that he reaches the 
sky, 

And as strong as strong can be. 

He holds the heavens upon his head, 

So he’s got to be strong, you see. 

Oh, what a surprise if he dropped the 
skies 

On people like you and me! 

Hercules once to Atlas said, 

“Give me the heavens to hold — 

Now go, if you please, to the Hes- 
perides 

Where the trees bear apples of gold. 

“Your daughters, in the orchards there, 
Will give you some apples, I know. 

[ 9 ] 


TED IN MYTHLAND 


Please bring me a few, and be lively 
too.” 

Atlas jumped at the chance to go. 

So Hercules climbed to a mountain top 

And lifted the skies to his head. 

Atlas shouted with glee to find himself 
free, 

Then off for the apples he sped. 

I really don’t know how a stone could 
run, 

I think I have never been told. 

But he stayed very long, which was cer- 
tainly wrong, 

For the heavens were heavy to hold. 

Hercules started to walk about — 

(He did it to wake up his toes) — 

Till Atlas came back with a little brown 
sack 


[ 10 ] 


TED IN MYTHLAND 


From the land where the apple tree 
grows. 

“Here are three apples I’ve brought,” 
he said, 

“I wish I had known you before. 

You’re stronger than I, so you keep the 
sky; 

I’ll not take it back any more.” 

But Hercules wouldn’t be tricked like 
that : 

“It’s making my forehead red — 

You take it a bit while a cushion I fit 

Where the thing hurts worst,” he said. 

Stupid old Atlas agreed to wait; 

And seized the skies with a will. 

“Well, just for a while,” he said with a 
smile, 

But Atlas is holding them still. 

[in 


TED IN MYTHLAND 


“Do you mean that Hercules ran off 
and left Atlas holding the skies?” asked 
Ted. 

“Certainly. It served him right, 
too.” 

“Who was Hercules?” began Teddy, 
but Mercury had tied his shoe and 
grasped his stick. 

“I haven’t time to answer questions,” 
he said. “Now for Olympus!” 

Ted shut his eyes, and off they swung, 
up above the clouds. When he opened 
his eyes again he found himself in a 
great, lofty hall. He was so dazzled by 
the splendor of the gold walls that at 
first he could see nothing plainly except 
a big, shining throne in the middle of the 
hall. Someone was at work, mending 
the throne — some one with broad, 
stooped shoulders, and dark shaggv hair. 

[ 12 ] 


TED IN MYTHLAND 


He wore a leather apron, and his tools 
lay about on the floor. 

“Now don’t ask who he is,” snapped 



TED IN MYTHLAND 


Mercury. “I’D always tell you as soon 
as I can. That’s Blacksmith Vulcan, the 
god of Fire, and King Jupiter’s son. He 
comes in to do odd jobs only when Jupi- 
ter isn’t about; and after he’s gone I’ll 
tell you why.” 

Just then Vulcan picked up his tools 
and came toward them. Teddy saw 
that he was lame. Vulcan nodded to 
Mercury and said gruffly, 

“I think everything is in shape for the 
party now. I’ve just put an extra piece 
under the floor of the throne, so if 
Mother Juno gets angry and stamps her 
foot, it won’t crack this time.” 

Then Mercury told the story of; 


[ 14 ] 


JUNO AND VULCAN 


Juno, Lady of Olympus, 

Was a mischief making queen; 
Always nagging gods and mortals ; 
lways stirring up a scene ; 

Always prying into secrets; 

Always asking someone’s age; 
Always hurting people’s feelings; 
Always flying in a rage. 

Mighty Jupiter, her husband,. 

Lost all patience on a day; 

Swore that such a meddling vixen 
On Olympus should not stay. 

With a chain of gold he bound her ; 
Round her body made it fast; 
[ 15 ] 


JUNO AND VULCAN. 


[ 16 ] 


TED IN MYTHLAND 


Swung her from the walls of heaven; 
Stopped her scolding tongue at last. 

Dusk had fallen on Olympus 
On his golden throne, the king 
Nodded, drowsed and, deep in slumber, 
Lost all heed of anything. 

Juno, tugging at her fetters, 

Yet too proud to beg or cry, 
Scowling upward at Olympus, 

Saw a stirring in the sky ; 

Heard a careful, cautious whisper. 
Floating to her anxious ear: 
“Courage, Mother, I will help you, 

I, the blacksmith god, am near!” 

Harsh his voice and strange his figure; 
Massive shoulders, bent with toil ; 

[ 17 ] 


TED IN MYTHLAND 


Sinewy arms and knotted fingers — 
Jupiter’s revenge to spoil. 

Straight he gripped the chain that 
bound her; 

Braced him for a mighty strain, 
Drew his mother slowly upward 
Safe to solid sky again. 

As the chain was still a- jangling, 

With a start the king awoke; 

Saw what Vulcan had been doing. 

And in voice of thunder spoke, 

“What, you dare to disobey me! 

Dare to play me such a trick!” 
Striding forth, he gave poor Vulcan 
One tremendous, kingly kick. 

Then the blacksmith god went whirling, 
Shouting his was all the blame; 

[ 18 ] 


TED IN MYTHLAND 


Fell to earth with such a thumping, 

Vulcan, to this day, is lame. 

Ted was quite rested by this time, and 
he began to wander curiously about to 
get a closer view of the high, golden 
walls. He now saw delicate patterns 
of vines and flowers, trees and birds and 
animals and graceful figures of people, 
all traced in dull gold and silver tints on 
the burnished gold of the panels. There 
were hundreds and hundreds of these 
shining panels, and when Ted had 
looked and looked until his head was in 
a whirl, he came back to the throne 
where Mercury still sat, watching him. 

Near the throne were ranged a great 
number of golden chairs and benches; 
and beside one of them was a thing like 
a harp, which Mercury called a lyre. 

[ 19 ] 


TED IN MYTHLAND 


“It belongs to Apollo, the god of 
Music,” he said. “I invented it myself. 
I made the first one out of a tortoise 
shell, but I never had any ear for music, 
so I gave it to Apollo for my stick 
here, which is much more useful.” 

Teddy touched the rim of the lyre. 

“Gold — all gold,” he said. “Seems to 
me everything is gold in this place. My, 
I wish I had some of it.” 

“Look out!” cried Mercury so sharply 
that Teddy jumped on the gilded floor. 
“It’s well enough for the gods, but it 
doesn’t do for a mortal to have too much 
gold. Everybody seems to be late in 
coming to-day, so I’ll tell you one more 
story while we wait, and then you’ll see 
what I meant.” 


[ 20 ] 


THE FIRST STORY OF MIDAS 


Give heed to the story of Midas, 

The king who was greedy and bold! 
He wished that all things in his king- 
dom 

Would turn, at his touch, into gold. 

He took up a ruddy-cheeked apple 
To see if his wish would come true, 

It flashed into gold in an instant. 

He thought he was lucky — do you? 

He touched all the fruits in the garden ; 

He touched all the flowers and trees. 
He gilded the birds and the fishes ; 

He powdered with gold all the bees. 

And all that he touched went a-glitter, 
His water and water cans, too. 

[ 21 ] 



MIDAS GREW HUNGRY AND THIRSTY. 


At last he grew hungry and thirsty. 
Whatever was Midas to do ? 

His bread and his cutlets were golden, 
And shining and stony as bricks ; 
And all of his pencils and matches 
Turned right into little gold sticks. 
[ 22 ] 


TED IN MYTHLAND 


Gold were the tips of his fingers ; 

His garments were stiffened to gold. 
He longed for a soft, fuzzy blanket; 
These things were so heavy and cold. 

He flung up his arms to the heavens, 
And prayed for a night and a day, 
Till the gods sent him off to a river 
Where he washed the gold spell quite 
away. 

Give heed to the story of Midas! 

Be not like the king overbold ! 
Remember, whenever you’re wishing, 
Be not over greedy for gold. 

“I’ll bet I won’t,” said Teddy. 

“Be quiet,” whispered Mercury. 
“Here they come now.” And King 
Jupiter and Queen Juno walked into 
the hall together. 

[ 23 ] 


TED IN MYTHLAND 


Ted could never tell afterwards ex- 
actly how they looked. It is very hard 
to describe any of the gods, hardest of 
all to describe the greatest of them. But 
he never forgot the grand head of King 
Jupiter, with its heavy, curling hair and 
beard. Queen Juno was almost as 
grand in her own way, and even more 
beautiful, with wonderful, great dark 
eyes; only there was something about 
the curl of her lip that made Ted think 
he would rather not be her little boy. 
He was quite sure that if he spilled 
chocolate on his best white blouse 
she would never understand, as his 
own dear mother did, that he couldn’t 
help it. 

Jupiter and Juno moved up the great 
hall toward the golden throne. When 
they were seated, Mercury took Teddy, 

r 24 ] 


TED IN MYTHLAND 


who felt very small and shy, to intro- 
duce him. 

“I am very glad you came, my dear,” 
said the great king pleasantly. “It isn’t 
often we have a visitor from the earth. 
Mercury, see that he has a good time this 
afternoon, and explain anything he 
doesn’t understand.” 

“And keep him out of mischief,” 
added the queen, with a smile that soft- 
ened the sharp words a little. 

Mercury bowed low, and led his little 
friend away just as another goddess 
entered the hall. She took a seat near 
the throne, and Mercury said she was 
the king’s favorite daughter, Minerva. 
She was as tall and stately as Juno, with 
such a calm, steady gaze in her blue 
eyes ; such a firm, quiet mouth and such 
a masterful air, that Teddy was not sur- 
[ 25 ] 


TED IN MYTH LAND 


prised when Mercury told him she was 
the goddess of Wisdom and never made 
a mistake. 

“She must be very proud of that,” 
said the little boy, thinking rather sadly 
of how many mistakes he made every 
day. 

“Well, I believe she is, if the truth 
were known,” answered Mercury, “but 
she never says much about it. She hates 
bragging, and always punishes people 
who do it. There was Arachne, for in- 
stance.” With a cautious glance at Mi- 
nerva, Mercury whispered away at a 
great rate: 


[ 26 ] 


ARACHNE 


Arachne was a fair young maid, 

With manner sweet and winning. 
She sewed and cooked and sang and 
played, 

But she excelled at spinning. 

Arachne spun so very fine 

That she grew proud and wilful. 

She said: “No work compares with 
mine, 

And no one is so skillful. 

“I’ve heard Minerva spins so well, 
Though I have never met her. 

I wish I could, so we could tell 
Which one of us spins better/’ 

[ 27 ] 


TED IN MYTHLAND 


Minerva heard this with a frown: 

“This is a forward creature. 

Though I’m a goddess, I’ve come down, 
A lesson here to teach her.” 

Arachne’s loom was slow to spin, 
Minerva’s went a-flying; 

She wove her figures out and in 
With vivid colors dyeing. 

And in and out and roundabout, 

Her loom went fast and faster, 

Until at last there was no doubt 
Minerva was the master. 

“My work is poor,” Arachne said, 

“My colors dull and dreary, 

I’m wishing now that I were dead — 

Of life I am a-weary.” 

[ 28 ] 



MINERVA AND ARACHNE. 

[ 20 ] 



TED IN MYTHLAND 


Minerva spoke: “You shall not die.” 

When dying was denied her, 
Arachne, with a frightened cry, 

Was turned into a spider. 

And spiders, to this very day, 

At spinning still are clever. 

Minerva makes them, so they say, 

Spin on and on forever. 

Ted glanced in a rather scared fashion 
at Minerva’s calm face, as he remem- 
bered how he had bragged to Jack Ken- 
nedy that he could run faster than any 
other boy in the second grade. He drew 
closer to Mercury. 

Mercury was looking through one of 
the great crystal windows. As the sun- 
light grew suddenly brighter, he cried, 
“There comes Apollo!” and hurried 
toward the great doors. 

[ 30 ] 


TED IN MYTHLAND 


Teddy followed as fast as he could, 
and was just in time to see the sun-god 
dash up in his golden chariot, fling the 
reins to a boy in waiting, and walk up 
the hall to greet the king and queen. 
Teddy stayed gazing at the shining 
chariot, with its four splendid horses. 
Apollo’s boy held the reins tightly, and 
kept close watch. 

“My!” cried Teddy, “I’d be afraid to 
ride behind those horses! I shouldn’t 
think Apollo would want to leave them 
with just a boy like that, either.” 

Mercury chuckled, “That boy’s Phae- 
ton, Apollo’s son, and he’s had one pret- 
ty good lesson,” he said. “He’ll be care- 
ful enough now. That’s a good story, 
and I dare say Apollo will sing it for 
you if we ask him. Here, catch hold 
of my stick, and you’ll get along faster.” 

[ 31 ] 



PHAETON. 


As they drew near the sun-god, Ted- 
dy asked, “Is there a god of the moon 
too?” 

Apollo, who was tuning his lyre, 
heard the question, and answered before 
Mercury could speak, 

[ 32 ] 


TED IN MYTHLAND 


“There’s a goddess,” he said; “my 
sister Diana. But she isn’t here to-day. 
She’s gone hunting. I’ll sing about her 
as soon as Noon, one of my Hours, has 
told her story. She wants us to know 
what happens when she and Summer 
come together.” 

Ted now remembered that there had 
been a group of maidens about Apollo’s 
chariot. Mercury said they were The 
Hours, The Days, The Months, and The 
Seasons. And now as one of them, the 
Noon Hour, came gliding into the hall, 
in her bright yellow draperies, the air 
grew suddenly so warm that everybody 
began to fan. 

She began by speaking her own 
name: 


f83] 


NOON 


On a drowsy day of a fragrant June, 

The clocks were climbing their way to 
noon. 

“Midday is coming,” whispered the 
breeze. 

“Midday is coming,” droned the bees. 

“Almost noon!” sang a voice from a 
nest. 

“Noon!” glowed the sun, at his golden 
best. 

Then all the whistles and bells in town 

Tooted and rang other noises down: 

“It’s twelve o’clock in the steeple here!” 

“And twelve on the water far and 
near !” 


[ 84 ] 


TED IN MYTHLAND 


At last, when the clamor had died away 
On the still, still air of the summer day, 
The bird of the nest and the warm little 
breeze, 

And the lazy, drowsy, dusty bees 
Went to sleep to the crickets’ croon: 
“Morning is gone — It is afternoon!” 

As she finished, Noon drifted out of 
the doorway ; and Apollo, without wait- 
ing for anybody to speak, touched his 
lyre softly and sang: 


[ 85 ] 


DIANA, THE QUEEN OF THE 
MOON 


If you will look up in the dimness 
Of a starlighted evening in June, 

You’ll see, in a slim, silver crescent, 
Diana — the queen of the moon. 

Diana’s the goddess of hunters, 

Of forests and animals, too. 

She carries a bow and a quiver. 

Be careful she doesn’t shoot you. 

If you should catch, over your shoulder, 
A baby moon, peeping at you, 

And wish all the while you are looking, 
Diana will make it come true. 

She sniffs and she mocks at her lovers, 
They’re hoping shell change her 
mind soon. 

[ 36 ] 


TED IN MYTHLAND 


But she swears that she never will 
marry, 

I think she’s in love with the moon. 

“Thank you very much,” said Ted. 
“That’s all right, but I wish you’d sing 
the song about the boy out there.” 

“Oh, that story of the time I lent him 
the sun. Well, I don’t much like to talk 
about myself.” 

Ted looked disappointed; and Jupi- 
ter said kindly, “Mercury will sing it 
for this little boy, and Apollo will play.” 

Apollo bowed, struck some swift, 
ringing strains from his lyre and Mer- 
cury began: 



r 


r 38 1 


HOW APOLLO LENT THE 

SUN 


Apollo sprang to his golden car, 

Which all of you know as the sun, 
As a signal fell from the morning star 
To show that the dawn had begun. 

His horses were harnessed with golden 
chains, 

Of gold was the chariot’s frame ; 

All fretted and flashing with crystal 
grains, 

And the wheels were of whirling 
flame. 

Phaeton, who was Apollo’s boy, 
Teased and bothered to try 
At driving the sun — a splendid toy — 
Through its blazing path in the sky. 
[ 39 ] 


TED IN MYTHLAND 


“My lad, my lad, the way is steep! 

Be careful! Be not too bold! 

My horses are fierce as they plunge and 
leap, 

And are fearfully hard to hold!” 

But Phaeton carelessly dashed away: 

“Look out!” cried the Planet Mars. 
The chariot started to swerve and sway. 
Then it bumped right into the stars. 

The driver lashed with his golden whip, 
And struck at a flaming tire; 

Then down they crashed with a fearful 
dip, 

Till the earth was a forest of fire. 

Phaeton dropped, with his hair ablaze, 
Splash, to the cooling sea! 

Apollo appeared through the burning 
maze, 

And he flung his horses free. 

[ 40 ] 


TED IN MYTHLAND 


He drenched the earth with a shower of 
rain; 

He mended the chariot’s scars. 

And then drove home through the 
twinkling lane, 

Of the silent groups of stars. 

Apollo’s playing was wonderful! 
Teddy could fairly see the flames; and 
he shook with excitement until the end 
of the song, where the music grew quiet 
and gentle again. 

He had never taken his eyes from 
the beautiful young god as, with his lyre 
under his arm, he strolled away toward 
the door. 

Mercury pulled the little boy’s jacket, 
“Don’t stare like that. You’ll be as bad 
as Clytie.” 

“Who was Clytie?” demanded Ted, 
[ 41 ] 


TED IN MYTHLAND 


coming out of his dream, and scenting 
another story. 

“I’ll tell you if you’ll promise not to 
ask me for a single story after this one. 
I’ve told you enough, I think, and you 
can get some one else to do the rest. 
Now that Apollo’s here, he’ll be singing 
most of the time, anyhow.” 

“All right,” said Teddy; “Tell me 
about Clytie now, and I won’t ask for 
any more.” 

So Mercury told: 


[ 42 ] 


THE SUNFLOWER S STORY 


A sunflower grew by a garden wall, 
And she had a rose for a neighbor. 

There came on a sudden a windy squall. 

As the rose was small and the sunflower 
tall, 

She saved the rose from a nasty fall. 
Said the rose, “Many thanks for 
your labor. 

“Miss Sunflower, how did you get your 
name? 

I am eager to hear your story.” 

The sunflower hung her poor head with 
shame, 

Then lifted it proudly, with face aflame, 

Though she shook and trembled 
throughout her frame, 

As she faced the sun in his glory. 

[ 43 ] 


TED IN MYTHLAND 

The Sunflower murmured: “Once, long 

ago, 

There lived my great grandmother, 
Clytie. 

She loved young Apollo, the god, you 
know; 

And he loved her, till she bothered 
him, so 

He finally tired of Clytie, and lo ! 

Then he said that poor Clytie was 
flighty. 

“Apollo, dear Rose, was the god of the 
sun, 

And had a new fancy each hour. 

At last Clytie saw he was only in fun, 

And when she was angry at what he had 
done, 

He turned her into a flower. 


TED IN MYTHLAND 


“We sunflowers, all of us, gaze on high 
At the sun, like Grandmother Clytie. 
I wish he would notice how often I try, 
With twisting and turning, my head 
all awry, 

To follow the sun as he moves through 
the sky.” 

Said the rose, “He’s forgotten you, 
Clytie.” 


As Mercury finished, the soft strains 
of Apollo’s lyre floated to Ted’s ear. 
Mercury listened a moment. 

“That’s The Venus Birth Song,” he 
said. “He alwaj^s plays that when 
Venus comes in.” And catching Ted- 
dy’s hand, Mercury hurried him again 
toward the door, to hear Apollo sing : 


[ 45 ] 


HOW VENUS WAS BORN 


A gentle little ripple 
Upon a summer sea, 

A curling bit of sea foam 
As soft as soft could be. 

It changed into a cloudlet 
Of misty pink and white; 

Upon its ragged edges 
A line of golden light. 

The cloudlet fell a-trembling, 
With pink and white at strife; 

It rose upon the ripple 
And trembled into life. 

It blossomed into Venus — 

Then the ripple ran back home. 

Thus Venus fair grew out of 
A drift of ocean foam. 

[ 46 ] 


TED IN MYTHLAND 


A very different chariot from Apol- 
lo’s stood outside this time — a great, 
pearly shell, drawn by a flock of flutter- 
ing white doves; and a beautiful god- 
dess was just alighting. Behind her 
came a boy, a pretty little fellow, wear- 
ing no clothes except a sort of scarf, to 
which was fastened a quiver of arrows. 
He carried a bow on his back and, 
strangest of all, a silken band was tied 
over his eyes. 

“Venus, the goddess of Love and 
Beauty,” whispered Mercury, “with her 
son, Cupid.” 

Ted eagerly followed the newcomers. 
They greeted the king and queen, and 
then sat down on a golden bench on the 
opposite side from Minerva. Ted stole 
quite close to Cupid and asked softly, 

“Why are your eyes bandaged?” 

[ 47 ] 



[ 48 ] 



TED IN MYTHLAND 


Venus heard him, and answered 
quickly with a smile, “To keep him out 
of mischief.” 

“Does he get into mischief often?” 
asked Teddy, for he didn’t feel the least 
bit afraid of Venus. She was not as 
stiff as the other goddesses, and her 
mouth seemed always wanting to dimple 
into laughter. 

“Well yes, he does — pretty often. 
And once he made a great deal of 
trouble for Apollo.” 

“Do tell me about it,” pleaded Teddy, 
remembering that he could hope for no 
more stories from Mercury. 

So Venus told him, in the softest of 
sweet voices, the story of Cupid’s mis- 
chief; glancing over her shoulder now 
and then to be sure that Apollo was not 
within hearing: 

[ 49 ] 



DAPHNE TURNING INTO A TREE. 


[ 50 ] 


APOLLO AND DAPHNE 


God of Love was little Cupid. 

Cupid, once on mischief bent, 

Took good aim at young Apollo, 

To his heart an arrow sent. 

It was such a pretty arrow — 

Golden tip, and silver rod — 

Made Apollo love fair Daphne, 
Daughter of a river god. 

Cupid chose another arrow; 

Not so pretty — tipped with lead. 
Into Daphne’s heart he shot it: 
“Now she’ll hate him,” Cupid said. 

Daphne hated great Apollo — 

Yet he spoke of love one day — 
Tried to woo her, win her over — 
Daphne frowned and ran away. 
[ 51 ] 


TED IN MYTHLAND 


On she rushes — he is swifter. 

He has borrowed Cupid’s wings. 
Nearer, nearer, ever nearer, 

In her ear the patter rings. 

When he caught her, she was praying, 
“O my Father, set me free!” 

When he flung his arms about her, 

She was changing to a tree. 

Little branches were her fingers ; 

Tender little leaves her hair ; 

Hard as wood became her body ; 

Lo, a laurel tree stood there ! 

“Come back Sweet,” implored Apollo. 

Only Echo murmured, “Sweet!” 
And a drift of laurel blossoms 
Fluttered softly to his feet. 

“That was pretty bad,” said Ted. 
“but you won’t ever be so naughty 
[ 52 ] 


TED IN MYTHLAND 


again, will you?” turning toward the lit- 
tle god, who had listened as quietly as 
Ted himself. 

Cupid shook his curly head. “I don’t 
know,” he said. “Sometimes I make 
trouble without meaning it. But Moth- 
er never really scolds. She’s just as bad 
herself. You know she is the goddess 
of Love.” 

“Yes,” said Ted, “I can understand 
that. But how do they know she’s the 
goddess of Beauty? She’s sweeter than 
the other two, but I don’t know that 
she’s any more beautiful. I’m sure I 
couldn’t tell which one was the most 
beautiful.” 

Cupid giggled, “You not the first 
fellow that found it hard to decide,” he 
said, “and I’ll tell you how one of them 
finally settled it. The story is called : 

[ 53 ] 


THE APPLE OF DISCORD 


Minerva and Venus and Juno — all 
three — 

Were chatting one day at a five o’clock 
tea. 

The Goddess of Discord was angry and 
slighted 

Because to the party she’d not been in- 
vited. 

So she wrenched a gold apple away 
from a tree, 

And said, “I shall teach ’em they 
daren’t slight me!” 

She flung it with fury. It fell with a 
crash, 

And made of a teacup a terrible smash. 

The apple went rolling away on the 
ground, 

[ 54 ] 



THE JUDGMENT OF PARIS. 

[ 55 ] 


TED IN MYTHLAND 


And Juno cried, “Here it is! See what 
I’ve found! 

“It’s marked: ‘For the Goddess of 
Beauty/ said she — 

“The Goddess of Beauty! — It must be 
for me.” 

“For you,” broke in Venus, “and why, 
pray, for you? 

Minerva and I are both beautiful too.” 

The Goddess of Discord was saying 
with glee, 

“I knew I could break up that five 
o’clock tea.” 

Said Minerva the wise, “Let a mortal 
decide, 

If Juno he chooses, we all will abide.” 

They got for their judge, from the city 
of Troy, 

A shepherd called Paris — a beautiful 
boy. 


[ 56 ] 


TED IN MYTHLAND 


When Juno gave Paris the apple to 
hold, 

She offered him power and glory and 
gold, 

If he would but promise to make her 
the queen 

Of all the fair women that ever were 
seen. 

Minerva came forward: “But I’ll make 
you wise; 

I’ll teach you the secrets of earth and 
the skies.” 

Fair Venus was smiling; her words rip- 
pled low, 

“But power and wisdom are nothing, 
you know, 

Compared to the love of a beautiful 
wife. 

I offer you love — as the best thing in 
life.” 


[ 57 ] 


TED IN MYTHLAND 

Said Paris, “I’m puzzled, as puzzled 
can be. 

I’d like to have chosen you ladies all 
three. 

I want to be rich and I want to be wise. 

And I long for the secrets of earth and 
the skies. 

But I long most of all to be happy in 
life, 

So Venus, I’ve chosen the love of a 
wife.” 

He gave her the apple, its color was 
rare, 

J ust matching the gold in her shimmer- 
ing hair. 

Minerva said, “Juno, we’ll swallow our 
pride, 

And help Venus find him a beautiful 
bride. 


[ 58 ] 


TED IN MYTHLAND 


We’ll try not to think of the apple of 
gold. 

Shall we go back to tea? — or the tea will 
be cold.” 

Then Juno, Minerva and Venus — all 
three — 

Went peacefully back to their five 
o’clock tea. 

“Well, I’m glad they were so nice 
about it in the end,” said Ted, “even if 
they were cross at first.” 

“Ah, but that wasn’t the end,” re- 
torted Cupid, ruffling the little wings he 
wore on his shoulders. “The more Juno 
thought it over the more angry she got 
at the man who chose Venus. And finally 
she stirred up the Trojan War — but 
there! That’s far too long a story to 
tell here. It’s all over now, thank good- 
[ 59 ] 


TED IN MYTHLAND 


ness; and the Queen is getting less 
cranky as she grows older, though I 
can’t say I’d like Iris’s work even now.” 

“What is her work?” asked Teddy. 

“Oh, she’s a sort of errand girl for 
the Queen, and she’s kept busy running 
back and forth between heaven and 
earth nearly all the time. Come on, and 
we’ll get Apollo to sing about her.” 

Cupid seemed to be able to find his 
way about even if he was blindfolded: 
and Apollo must have forgiven him his 
naughtiness. For the sun-god took up 
his lyre quite willingly, and sang about 


[ 60 ] 


IRIS 


On a day when a soft rain is falling, 
And the sun, dipping low toward the 
west, 

Gleams out for a moment, look east' 
ward! 

See, over the shaggy hill crest 

Lies the broad, shining band of the 
rainbow, 

That’s the path on which Iris comes 
down. 

Perhaps we shall catch, as she passes, 

A glimpse of her shimmering gown 

That floats like a mist wreath about her, 
Of delicate sea-tints, and holds 

Fair lilies and half -open roses 
All dewy and fresh in its folds. 

[ 61 ] 


TED IN MYTHLAND 


Her wings, sweeping soft from 
Olympus, 

Have borrowed the sunset’s own hue 

From the faint, saffron light of their 
edges 

That scatter a fragrance like dew 

To the pure, glowing gold that mounts 
upward 

And melts into flame color, where 

It touches with heavenly splendor 

The violets crowning her hair. 

There are raindrops a-gleam on the 
blossoms ; 

And raindrops a-gleam in her curls; 

And beneath her white feet as she 
passes, 

The broad, shining rainbow unfurls. 


[ 62 ] 


PAN. 


As the song ended, Mercury darted 
across the room to Ted and whispered, 
“Here comes the wood-god Pan, with 
his dryad maidens. Listen!” 

And Ted heard music drawing near 
[ 63 ] 


TED IN MYTHLAND 


— music that sounded like the twitter of 
birds and the stirring of wind among 
the trees, and the low gurgle of running 
water, all bound together by one flute- 
like note — high and clear and sweet. It 
somehow made Ted’s heart beat very 
fast, a flush come to his cheek and his 
eyes shine very brightly. And as the 
strange music thrilled nearer and nearer, 
Ted began to dream lovely dreams with 
his eyes wide open. All of the gods 
about him seemed more beautiful than 
ever, and there was a wonderful rose 
colored glow about everything. 

Ted breathed very quickly, “Ah, but 
things have grown beautiful and noble,” 
he whispered. 

Mercury answered softly, “The 
pipes of Pan always have that effect on 
mortals. It is a part of our god world 
[ 64 ] 


TED IN MYTHLAND 


that we lend you sometimes. But it 
never lasts long at a time.” 

Ted listened breathlessly, “It’s stop- 
ped now. Oh, dear! It was the most 
beautiful music” — He tried to go on, 
but Mercury’s hand went over his 
mouth. 

“My, it’s a good thing I stopped you 
in time!” he said. “You remember 
Midas, don’t you? Well, after I tell 
you how he got into some more trouble, 
you’ll be careful about admiring any- 
body’s music when Apollo’s near by. I 
said I was tired of telling stories, but 
you’ve been so good about not teasing, 
I don’t mind beginning again. As for 
Pan, he’ll be coming in here presently; 
and in the meantime, listen carefully: 


[ 65 ] 



MIDAS AND THE BARBER. 


[ 66 ] 


THE TALKATIVE BARBER 


Hundreds and hundreds of years ago 

King Midas, (who wearied of gold, you 
know), 

Was in trouble again, when he said that 
Pan 

Made the sweetest music since song 
began. 

For the god of Music was vexed and 
said, 

“Oh, Midas, you’ve useless ears on your 
head! 

I am Apollo, though you are a king, 

And I’ll teach you, my friend, to re- 
member this thing. 

Come closer to me, so that no one hears : 

I am changing your ears into donkeys’ 


ears. 


[ 67 ] 


TED IN MYTHLAND 


King Midas was frightened. It really 
was true ! 

His nice little ears just grew and grew. 

He called his barber and made him 
swear 

That he’d cover the ears with puffs of 
hair. 

And the barber swore by his barber’s 
pole, 

That he never would tell a living soul. 

But oh, it was such a hard secret to keep, 

He feared he would tell it while he was 
asleep ! 

So the barber, one day, dug a great big 
hole 

(Which wasn’t, of course, a living soul) . 

And down in that hole he shouted, my 
dears : 

“Oh, Midas — the king — he has donkeys’ 


ears. 


[ 68 ] 


TED IN MYTHLAND 


The wind, which was passing, had heard 
the words. 

The wind told the trees, and the trees 
told the birds. 

The people heard it with laughter and 
jeers: 

“My gracious, King Midas has donkeys’ 
ears!” 


The barber was killed. Remember him 
well. 

And when you’ve a secret you oughtn’t 
to tell, 

Just think of the babbling old barber, 
who found 

’Twas fatal to tell a mere hole in the 
ground. 

Ted looked a bit worried, and felt of 

his ears gingerly. They seemed to be 
[ 69 ] 



[ 70 ] 


TED IN MYTHLAND 


much warmer than usual, but no 
larger. 

“It was pretty mean of that barber 
to tell, but the wind and trees were tat- 
tle-tales, too.” J ust then the wonderful, 
flute-like music sounded again, and Ted 
saw a strange, wild-haired creature, 
capering about and playing upon pipes 
of reed. “So that is Pan,” he thought. 
About him danced a ring of young girls 
dressed in green leaves and brown 
scarfs. Somehow they reminded Ted of 
the woods ; and when he said so Mercury 
answered, 

“Of course. They are Pan’s dryads 
— maidens of the woods. I can see the 
question in your eyes, so I’ll tell you 
something about them. 


[ 71 ] 


THE DRYADS 


Would you like to live in a tree, 

Like the dryad-maids of the woods — 
In their dress of leaves with ragged 
sleeves — 

And morning glories for hoods? 

They dance in the hush of the dawn 
And form in a flowery ring, 

As the sunbeams’ light makes the morn- 
ing bright 

As the gold of a butterfly’s wing ; 

Till each, with a leap of the heart, 

Is silent, in wondering hush, 

Like a fawn at the spring — as the far- 
away ring 

Of a hunting horn winds through the 
brush. 


[ 72 ] 


TED m MYTHLAND 


And each flies away to her house, 

In the heart of a deep-bosomed tree, 
All trembling and shy, till the hunt 
goes by 

And the forest is still and free. 

Would you like to see them dance 

To the music of wind and woods — 
In their dress of leaves and ragged 
sleeves — 

And morning glories for hoods? 

“Yes, I should like it very much,” 
Ted remarked. But the maidens had 
ceased their dancing, and were grouped 
on the floor about Pan, who was strok- 
ing his goat-like beard and looking 
thoughtful. “Yes, I should like it very 
much,” Ted repeated. Then, as nobody 
paid any attention to him, he saw that 
[ 73 ] 


TED IN MYTHLAND 


he must not expect the dryads to dance 
again just for his sake. And as he 
looked at Pan, he thought of King 
Midas again. 

“Midas was a stuck up old king, any- 
how,” Ted said aloud. 

“Not nearly so much so as Polyc- 
rates,” said Mercury, who seemed rath- 
er glad to get back to story telling 
again. 

“Polick — goodness what a long 
name! Was he a king too?” 

“Of course.” This is the story: 


[ 74 ] 



A king there was — Poly crates — 

’Tis really a very long name. 

He had a ring, this long-named king, 

A jewel of wonderful fame. 

This king, who lived long years ago, 
Was known as the luckiest man 
On earth or sea — on land or lea — 

Since the time that the world began. 

[ 75 ] 


TED IN MYTHLAND 


He never had lost a single thing, 

And his every wish came true. 

The king had health and friends and 
wealth, 

But he was a braggart, too. 

He boasted so that his friends advised, 
“You’re too proud of your luck. 
Beware! 

Or some fine day it will fly away. 
You’re too proud of your luck. Take 
care!” 


“I’ll prove my luck,” said the foolish 
king, 

“As I fling in the sea this ring; 
’Twill surely then come back again, 
For I never lose anything.” 

And sure enough, the very next day. 

As the king was carving a fish, 

[ 76 ] 


TED IN MYTHLAND 


He realty spied the ring inside, 

And it tinkled out on the dish. 

The fish had swallowed the shining 
thing, 

The moment it touched the sea. 

Cried the king, “Oho! I told you so. 

I’m as great as the gods,” said he. 

Be sure that the gods then punished 
him. 

He lost his luck for his pride. 

They took his health and friends and 
wealth. 

He was wretched until he died. 

Whenever you think of Polycrates, 

I hope you will never forget, 

If he’d had less pride, (and he hadn’t 
died) , 

He might have been lucky yet. 

[ 77 ] 


TED IN MYTHLAND 


Ted began to get a little tired of 
stories now ; and wandered away by him- 
self into a little room, hung with pink 
and silver, in the middle of which stood 
two glistening, round silver tables. On 
each table was a huge golden bowl, with 
a heavy gold cover; and sticking out of 
each cover the curved handle of a gold 
ladle. A most delicious fragrance filled 
the air, that hinted of roses and violets, 
and yet somehow made Ted think of his 
mother’s kitchen at Christmas time. 
And then suddenly he knew that he was 
as hungry and thirsty as he had ever 
been in his life. 

Tie knew he ought not to touch the 
bowls; but as he sniffed that delicious 
smell he sidled over to the tables almost 
before he knew it. 

Ted was just putting his hand out 
[ 78 ] 


TED IN MYTHLAND 


when somebody caught his shoulder, and 
he jumped higher than he ever did at 
Hop Scotch. 

It was Mercury who stood there, and 
he spoke pretty sharply, 



“NECTAR AND AMBROSIA.” 


[ 79 ] 


TED IN MYTHLAND 


“How dare you touch our nectar and 
ambrosia?” he said. 

Teddy was almost sobbing. 

“I haven t t — touched anything yet,” 
he blubbered, “and I don’t know what 
nectar and bombrosia are anyhow.” 

“Ambrosia, not bombrosia,” said 
Mercury, more gently. “Ambrosia is 
the food of the gods, and nectar is their 
drink.” 

“Mayn’t I have some? I’m awf’ly 
hungry.” 

“I’d like to give you a little, Teddy, 
but no mortal is allowed to taste our 
food ; and you shouldn’t be prying 
around anyway, you know. There’s no 
telling what might have happened if I 
hadn’t come in when I did. Now there 
was a girl once. Her name was 


[ 80 ] 



PANDORA 

Pandora was a woman. 

The very first, they say. 
And, as I live, inquisitive, 
They are, unto this day. 

A god said to Pandora, 
“Here is a little box. 

It is a sin to look within.” 
He never thought of locks. 
[ 81 ] 


TED IN MYTHLAND 


Pandora smiled serenely, 

“Dear me, what can it be?” 

The box she shook, “I’ll take a look, 
Just at the top,” said she. 

She didn’t mean to move it ; 

She knew she should obey. 

She touched the top, and with a pop, 

It flew far, far away. 

“Good gracious!” cried Pandora, 
“There’s colic rushing out! 

The measles, mumps, and oh, the 
grumps, 

And chicken pox, and gout!” 

The lid she found a-rolling, 

And jammed it in its place. 

O what a goose to have let loose 
Such troubles for her race! 

[ 82 ] 


TED IN MYTHLAND 


The god was very angry : 

“Alas, for what you did! 

I’ll look about if all got out. 

I see right through the lid. 

“There’s something at the bottom. 

You now may dry your tears. 

Hope stayed behind, and you will find, 
That Hope will banish fears.” 

The moral to this story is: 

That when there are no locks, 

And it’s a sin to look within, 

You musnt touch the box . 

“I s’pose so. I s’pose I ought not 
even look at those tables,” said Ted wist- 
fully, “but I declare, Mercury, I’m so 
hungry this minute that my legs are 
trying to walk me right over there. 
[ 83 ] 


HEBE AND GANYMEDE. 


You’d better hold on to me tight — Ooo 
— who’s that pretty girl and that boy? 
They’re right up to the howls.” 

“That’s all right,” said Mercury. 
“The girl is Hebe and the boy is Gany- 

[ 84 ] 


TED IN MYTHLAND 


mede ; and it is their business to serve the 
gods with nectar and ambrosia.” 

Ganymede and Hebe tripped across 
the silvery floor, each carrying a round 
crystal tray, on which were tiny, spark- 
ling red cups and small plates of dull 
gold. Out of the big bowls they ladled 
the fragrant food and drink, until the 
cups and plates were heaped. Ted’s 
mouth began to water and his eyes filled 
with tears. 

“I’m not going to cry,” he gulped, 
“but I’m so hungry, I wish I could go 
home.” 

“Oh, now, don’t act like that,” said 
Mercury cheerily. “Just think of the 
ice cream and cake you’ll get at your 
own party pretty soon. And you’re not 
nearly as badly off as Tantalus was, 
anyhow.” 


[ 85 ] 


TED IN MYTHLAND 


“I had forgotten about the other 
party,” said the little boy, brightening 
up. “But who was Tantalus?” 

Mercury laughed: “Come back into 
the hall and hear Apollo sing about him. 
You’ve missed a lot of songs anyway 
by poking about in here.” 

Ted followed his friend, and present- 
ly forgot his hunger in watching the 
gods who had come in while he was 
gone. They now stood about in groups, 
politely listening to Apollo, who was 
just beginning to sing: 


[ 86 ] 


TANTALUS 


A bad old man was Tantalus — 

The wickedest of kings. 

He burned up towns, he killed his wife; 
He did all sorts of things. 

So when he died he went below 
To Hades, where he found 
A room reserved for wicked men. 

His sins were quite renowned. 

The punishment of Tantalus 
Seems very harsh to me. 

Yet he was such a wicked man, 

’Twas only just, you see. 

They bound him down with heavy 
chains, 

And swung above his head 
[ 87 ] 


TED IN MYTHLAND 


The most delicious fruits and wines. 

He thought he would be fed. 

But every time he tried to eat 
Or drink the cooling things, 

They all were jerked away from him — 
Pulled up by hidden strings. 

So Tantalus could never eat, 

And he could never drink. 

With such good things a-dangling near, 
’Twas hard to bear, I think. 

That poor old wicked Tantalus! 

He strains and twists and tries, 

But never tastes the tempting things 
Which swing before his eyes. 

“That’s the worst punishment I ever 
heard of,” said Ted. “What’s that new 
song and why do I feel so sleepy?” 
[ 88 ] 


TED IN MYTHLAND 


Mercury looked around. “Oh, Som- 
nus, the King of Sleep, is coming with 
his dream maidens. I’ll have to leave 
you for a little while now. Jupiter 
wants me to go and see why his son 
Mars, the War god, doesn’t come. Just 
sit on this stool till I come back. Don’t 
look into Somnus’s eyes, or you will go 
quite to sleep.” 

Mercury’s wings whizzed as he darted 
away. 

Then, as the place grew dusky, 
through the doorway drifted a band of 
dark-eyed maidens, their grey dresses 
hung with scarlet poppies. They car- 
ried on their shoulders a wide, black bed, 
fringed with poppies; and ahead of the 
others danced the loveliest maiden of all, 
softly striking a bowl shaped gong that 
she carried. The deep, mellow tones 

.[ 89 ] 


TED IN MYTHLAND 


swelled and throbbed and died away and 
floated back again ; and the maiden sang 
this song that made Ted sleepier than 
ever : 


[ 90 ] 


SOMNUS 


The king of sleep is a drowsy god. 

I went to his palace one day; 

And all he did was to nod and nod 
In the drowsiest kind of a way. 

And everything was as black as night 
Except where the poppies grew, 
Nodding their heads in the crimson 
light; 

For the poppies were sleepy, too. 

King Somnus lay on his great black bed 
In the heart of the sleepy land. 

He lajr so still he might have been dead, 
As I timidly touched his hand. 

He grumbled when I gave him a shake 
And said, with a look of surprise, 
[ 91 ] 


TED IN MYTHLAND 


“My dear, you’ve shaken the world 
awake 

By making me open my eyes. 

“But you may peep at my sleepy court, 
For you’re with us to stay, it seems. 
Here are the dreams of the creepy sort, 
And here are the beautiful dreams. 

“And now look down in my magic 
well.” 

It was quiet and dark and deep. 
King Somnus gave me a poppy to smell, 
And I fell in his arms — asleep!” 

Ted had remembered not to look into 
Somnus’s eyes and so stayed awake, 
though the room grew darker and dark- 
er, and all of the gods and goddesses 
were nodding drowsily. But as the 
[ 92 ] 


TED IN MYTHLAND 


poppy maids danced with their sleeping 
king, slowly out of the hall, the lights 
flashed up again, and everybody 
straightened up sharply. 

Juno shook her head impatiently: 
“Jupiter, I wish you wouldn’t invite 
that old stupid. I declare, he nearly 
puts me to sleep every times he comes. 
My foot’s asleep now, and Iris isn’t 
here to rub it. Do let’s have something 
lively to wake us up. Apollo, suppose 
you tell one of the stories about Her- 
cules. He was no sleepy head ; and even 
if he wasn’t a god, he did some things a 
god might have been proud of.” 

Ted, sitting quietly on the little gold 
stool, pricked up his ears, “Hercules,” 
he thought, “that was the one who held 
up the skies for Old Man Atlas. Now 
I wonder” — 


[ 93 ] 


TED IN MYTHLAND 


Just then Apollo said, “Ted, did you 
ever hear of The Twelve Labors of 
Hercules?” 

“Never,” answered Ted. 

“Well,” Apollo added, “Hercules 
had a master who tried his strength in 
twelve different ways. Each labor 
seemed impossible for any plain man, 
but Hercules was almost a giant, and so 
strong and brave and such a hero that he 
never gave up trying until he had done 
what his master ordered. You have al- 
ready heard how he got the three 
precious, golden apples for Atlas. And 
now I’ll tell you the story of 


[ 94 ] 


HERCULES AND THE 
HYDRA 


There once was a Hydra of wondrous 
make. 

A Hydra, my dears, is a water snake. 

A horrible thing with a tail that spreads, 

And this one, they say, had a hundred 
heads. 

The master of Hercules said to him, 

“You must kill the Hydra — It is my 
whim.” 

Then Hercules pulled up a young oak 
tree: 

“This tree I shall use as a club,” said he. 

The Hydra hissed from its gloomy 
cave, 

“How now, young giant, you must be 
brave ! 


[ 95 ] 


TED IN MYTHLAND 


I’ve one hundred heads and two hun- 
dred eyes, 

And I have killed men who were twice 
your size.” 

But Hercules crushed, with a single 
stroke, 

The head of the Hydra, the one that 
spoke. 

(A moral from which to draw, if you 
will, 

On the value, at times, of keeping still) . 

But what do you think? As he crushed 
this head, 

Two others, all hissing, shot out instead. 

Poor Hercules was in a terrible plight. 

When he killed one head, he had double 
to fight. 

“I must burn all the roots and the 
heads,” he thought, 


[ 96 ] 



HERCULES AND THE HYDRA. 


[ 97 ] 



TED IN MYTHLAND 


“Or all of this fighting will come to 
naught.” 

So he called to a friend: “Take this 
poker,” he said, 

“And heat it until all the iron is red. 

You burn the roots each time that I kill, 

And I think that this Hydra will soon 
be still.” 

Hercules fought for a night and a day 

Till the very last head had been sizzled 
away. 

This one they buried deep down in a 
glen — 

And the Hydra has never been heard 
from again. 

“That was a splendid fight,” said 

Teddy. “It’s too bad, though, that 

Hercules had to have anybody help him. 

Did he fight any of his battles alone?” 

[ 98 ] 


TED IN MYTHLAND 


“Of course,” answered Apollo proud- 
ly. “He killed the fiercest of all the 
lions in the forest without anybody’s 
help. Then he caught the wonderful 
Stag with the Golden Horns, and tamed 
a savage wild boar. Then there was the 
cleaning of the Augean Stable. Wait 
a moment, I’ll tell you about that. It 


was: 


i-OFC. 


THE FIFTH LABOR OF 
HERCULES 

Hercules grumbled and wrinkled his 
nose — 

This labor was hurting his pride. 

He hated to clean out a stable 
As big as a mountain side. 

There were heaps and heaps of litter, 
And curtains of cobwebs gray ; 

For nobody ever had taken a brush 
To sweep any rubbish away. 

He started in first a-sweeping; 

And then he scooped with a spade ; 
And then he tried with a cobweb brush ; 
And then he sat down in the shade. 

“The litter seems thicker than ever. 

I’m tired and angry and blue. — 

[ 100 ] 


TED IN MYTHLAND 


Unless I can think of a much better way 
I surely will never get through.” 

So he ran to a nearby river 

It was shallow— but swift and strong. 

And he dug it a brand new channel, 
Which was narrow and deep and long 

To the big front door of the stable, 
Right through to the big back door; 

Then down to a rocky tunnel 
Which led to the ocean’s shore. 

Then back he ran to the river 
And builded, the selfsame day, 

A wall to push all the water 
Through his brand new river- way. 

It rushed away through the stable ; 

It whirled through the big back door ; 

It seethed and foamed as it swept along, 
With a crashing, deafening roar. 

[ 101 ] 


TED IN MYTHLAND 


I wish you had seen that stable. 

The river had scoured the floor, 

And swept away all the cobwebs grey 
To the ocean’s furthest shore. 

Then Hercules shut off the river 

When his work was finally through; 
And settled himself for a good, long 
nap. 

I think it was earned — don’t you? 


“Good for Hercules!” cried Ted, so 
loudly that everybody turned to look at 
him. And from somewhere far across 
the great hall there sounded a faint 
“Hercules.” 

Ted nearly fell off his stool. 

“Who’s that mocking me?” he asked, 
half angrily. 


[ 102 ] 


TED IN MYTHLAND 


Everybody laughed, and Cupid came 
to sit beside Teddy. 

“Why, that’s only Echo,” he said. 
“Haven’t you heard her on earth some- 
times when you were shouting?” 

“Why, yes,” said Ted slowly; “when 
I’ve been in the mountains. But I didn’t 
know she was a god — goddess, I mean.” 

“Well, she isn’t. She was just one of 
those wood nymphs who lived in a tree.” 

“Can I see her?” asked Ted. 

“No, she was turned into a rock and is 
nothing but a voice now. If Juno 
doesn’t mind, Apollo will tell you why 
she’s such a queer creature.” 

All the gods looked toward the queen, 
who frowned and flushed a little; and 
Iris, who had hurried in, began to cool 
her with a long fan made of peacock 
feathers. 


[ 103 ] 


TED IN MYTHLAND 


“Well,” Juno said after a pause, “it 
makes me mad every time I think of it, 
but I don’t mind for once. Don’t be 
long about it, Apollo.” 

Ted listened eagerly as Apollo began: 


[ 104 ] 


THE STORY OF ECHO 


Echo slipped out from her tree one day, 

And idled and chattered and played, 

Till Juno came by with her temper high 

And muttered: “Where is that maid? 

“I sent her this way when the dawn was 

grey, 

To polish the face of the moon. 

’Twas dim last night — so frosty and 
white — 

But it should have been finished by 
noon. 

“We’re late this spring with everything; 

And Echo must do her share. 

Where can she have gone since the break 
of dawn?” 

Echo mockingly called out: 
“Where?” 

[ 105 ] 


TED IN MYTHLAND 


“You’re a parrot bird to repeat my 
word. 

There are still the stars to do. 

And the cobwebs here, who’ll brush them 
clear?” 

Echo daringly called out: “Who?” 

“You insolent Miss, you shall smart for 
this — 

You shall dwell in a hill of stone; 

Ever mocking away at what others say, 

But never have words of your own. 

“You never may speak a word of your 
own, 

( The mocking was all your own 
choice) — 

Even grasses and trees may sing in the 
breeze, 

But you’ll have to borrow a voice.” 

[ 106 ] 


TED IN MYTHLAND 


As the singer ended, far in the 
distance came the faint echo: 
“Voice.” 

“I’m sorry for her,” said Teddy, 
hitching his stool a little farther away 
from Juno. “Has she never got her 
voice back?” 

Apollo, who seemed a bit absent 
minded, did not answer, but Cupid drew 
closer to Ted and replied, “Never at 
all. And what’s more, the poor girl fell 
in love with a boy named Narcissus once. 
Whenever he spoke, she mocked his last 
word, because she couldn’t help it; and 
he was so angry that he couldn’t bear 
the thought of her. I never had much 
use for him anyway, even though he 
was beautiful to look at. I see that 
Apollo is getting ready to sing about 
him, as he always does right after 
[ 107 ] 


TED IN MYTHLAND 


‘Echo.’ I think I’ll take a little nap till 
it’s over, but you’d better listen.” 

Ted pricked up his ears to hear the 
story of 


[ 108 ] 


NARCISSUS 


Once a limpid pool of water, 

Fringed with trailing ferns and grass, 

Set with lilies — white and yellow — 
Made a polished looking glass; 

Made a mirror for Narcissus, 
Dreaming, gazing, as he lay, 

At his own reflected beauty — 

Could not take his eyes away. 

Long he gazed within the water 
At the soft and sunny hair; 

Loving eyes and mouth of scarlet 
Smiling dimly at him there ; 

Gazed until the golden shadows, 
Weaving patterns on the lawn, 

Turned to silver in the moonlight ; 
Turned to opal with the dawn; 

[ 109 ] 



NARCISSUS. 


[ 110 ] 


TED IN MYTHLAND 


Till his eyes were blurred and blinded 
In the drowsy, scented air; 

And the ferns and water grasses 
Twined their roots about him there. 

And the white and yellow lilies, 

With their fragrance and their dew, 
Changed the body of Narcissus — 

Made of him a flower, too. 

Now a creamy-petalled blossom. 
Where the grasses dip apart, 

Holds the spirit of Narcissus 
Deep within its golden heart. 

“I know that kind of flower,” whisp- 
ered Ted to Cupid. “It’s very pretty, 
but it is almost too sweet, my mother 
thinks. Perhaps this is because that 
Narcissus boy was too prettv. He must 
have looked something like a girl, any- 

[ in ] 


TED IN MYTHLAND 


way. Wasn’t he a silly muff to look at 
himself like that? I don’t like these sad 
songs much, anyway. I like the ones 
about Hercules best. Aren’t there any 
more about him?” 

“Oh, yes,” Cupid answered. “He had 
twelve labors, you know. But he wasn’t 
the only hero worth hearing about. 
There was Theseus now. Listen, and 
you’ll hear what Apollo has to say about 
him.” And Ted listened as Apollo be- 
gan: 


[ 112 ] 



[113 ] 


THE STORY OF THE IRON 
BED 


There was a wicked giant, 
Procrustes was his name. 

He had an iron bedstead, 

And he played an iron game. 

Theseus was a hero, 

Who walked abroad one day, 

When suddenly Procrustes 
Stood scowling in his way. 

The hero looked up bravely, 

And said, “How do you do!” 

The giant growled like thunder, 

“I want to talk to you.” 

Theseus knew that nothing 
Is gained by one who begs. 

He thought he’d just try dodging 
Between the giant’s legs. 

[ 114 ] 


TED IN MYTHLAND 


Procrustes grabbed his collar: 

“You come with me,” he said, 

“For everyone who passes 
Must sleep within my bed. 

“They sleep on one condition: 

That in my bed they fit. 

When they are long and lanky, 

I cut off just a bit. 

“When they are short and stumpy, 

I stretch them just enough 
To make them fit exactly. 

Sometimes they find me rough. 

“Now, you’re too long, young hero. 

Not often do I meet 
A man as long as your are. 

So I’ll chop off your feet.” 

But Theseus drew his sword and said, 
I’d rather chop your feet instead.” 
[115j 


TED IN MYTHLAND 


They battled until the giant was dead. 
Theseus cut off his feet and head. 

And that was the end of the iron bed. 

“Thank you very much, Apollo,” said 
Ted. “That was a dandy story. I was 
dreadfully afraid old Crusty was going 
to win in that fight. Did Theseus have 
any more fights?” he asked Cupid, who 
kept close beside the little boy. 

“Lot’s of ’em,” answered Cupid. 
“There was that fight in the Labyrinth 
— Hey ! Apollo is sure to sing that next 
I know, because he’s tuning up for 
Daedalus now; and he always takes the 
Labyrinth next.” 

Ted had no idea who Dtedalus was, 
but he listened politely to 


[ 110 ] 


A FLYING STORY 


Old Daedalus invented 
A place all nicely tented, 

With walls of glass and floors of clay 
Where anyone would lose his way. 

A labyrinth he called it. 

And when he’d safely walled it, 

He trailed a thread from in to out, 
To mark the way without a doubt. 

But soon he fell a-blinking — 

For he was inside — thinking! 

He couldn’t find the thread or clue. 
Now, what on earth was he to do? 

His little son was crying, 

F or he, too, had been trying, 

To find his puzzled way without, 

But merely bumped his head about. 
[ 117 ] 


TED IN MYTHLAND 


Old Dsedalus was trying 
To find a way for flying. 

He thought all night and thought all 
day, 

Until at last he found a way. 

His shelves were full of wedges, 

And fans with fluted edges; 

And wax and feathers, tacks and nails, 
And little ships with hoisted sails. 

He gathered every feather 
And waxed them well together; 

And spread them smoothly on a sail: 

A sort of kite without a tail. 

He made one for each shoulder, 

And growing bold and bolder, 

He fastened on the fluffy things, 

And lo, there were a pair of wings! 

[ 118 ] 


TED IN MYTHLAND 


He fashioned still another, 

And called out, “Little Brother! 
Now you have wings and I have wings, 
We’ll see what luck a fair wind brings.” 

The two set out a-flying — 

(The boy had stopped his crying) — 
They spread their wings with greatest 
ease, 

And sailed along the pleasant breeze. 

But as the boy flew higher, 

His wings were near afire ; 

And melted off him, one by one, 

For he had flown too near the sun. 

He fell to earth a-crying 
That he was done with flying. 

But Daedalus soared far away. 

I think he’s flying to this day. 

[ 119 ] 


TED IN MYTHLAND 


As this story came to an end, Teddy 
drew a long breath, “My, but I wish 
I could fly! Isn’t there some wax that 
the sun doesn’t melt? Do your wings 
melt, Cupid? And did you find that 
little boy’s wings?” 

Cupid smiled, as he looked down 
at his own snowwhite wings: “You 
mustn’t ask so many questions at once, 
Ted. Yes, there is a kind of wax 
which doesn’t melt. All of the gods use 
it. No, I didn’t find those wings. I 
wouldn’t use a mortal’s wings any- 
way.” 

Ted thought a moment, “I suppose 
that lab — lab — what do you call it?” 

“Lab-y-rinth,” said Cupid. 

“That lab-y-rinth,” repeated Ted 
slowly, “must have had windows.” 

“Not at all,” Cupid retorted. “Why 

[ 120 ] 


TED IN MYTHLAND 


do you say it must have had them, 
Smarty?” 

“Because Daedalus had to fly out of 
somewhere; and he couldn’t find the 
door,” Ted giggled. “Caught you that 
time.” 

“Oh you silly!” cried Cupid. “To 
think that you could trip me up! The 
place had no windows, I say. But it 
was very high, and had a big, round hole 
in the roof. Be quiet now, if you want 
to hear about Theseus’s fight in the 
Labyrinth.” So Cupid and Teddy list- 
ened quietly, as Apollo began: 


[ 121 ] 


THE LABYRINTH 


Have you ever heard of the Minotaur; 

How he was trapped one day 
In the mazes of the Labyrinth, 

That winding, twisting way? 

Well, long ago, in the days of Crete, 
The women would shriek and cry, 

As the yearly feast of the Minotaur 
Went sadly marching by. 

The yearly feast of this strange beast 
Was sent from Athens town 
Just seven lads and seven maids 
F or him to gobble down. 

But as one day the maids and men 
Were on their weary way 
[ 122 ] 


TED IN MYTHLAND 

Their leader-hero, Theseus, 

Held up his sword to say : 

“Why, here’s a trap, this Labyrinth! 
See how it twists about! 


I’ll cage our friend the Minotaur 
So he will not get out.” 



[ 123 ] 


TED IN MYTHLAND 


A Cretan maiden heard him speak, 

And warningly she cried, 

“But if you venture deep within 
How can you get outside? 

“I’ll show to you the guiding thread, 
I’ve marked the way. Now then, 

If you’ll be sure to follow it, 

’Twill guide you out again.” 

The leader traced the trailing thread 
Into an inmost hall. 

Through winding, twisting, crystal 
ways, 

They followed at his call. 

The Minotaur came swaggering 
And raging from the South. 

He rolled his eyes and lashed his tail 
And yawned his bloody mouth. 
[ 124 ] 


TED IN MYTHLAND 


‘Tm tired and I’m starving, too, 
Where can those children be ! 

Oh there they are in that queer house, 
All nicely fixed for me.” 


The others, frightened at the shout, 
Were very nearly dead, 

But Theseus calmly watched the beast 
And never lost his he ‘id. 

The Minotaur got lost at once ; 

And hanged his angry tail 
On floor and wall, on door and hall 
Of all that puzzling jail. 


He even looked between his legs, 

But couldn’t find the way. 

And then his head and tail got mixed. 
And there he was to stay. 

[ 125 ] 


TED IN MYTHLAND 


The leader sprang upon him now 
With all his main and might. 

He fought with sword and naked hands. 
It was a fearful fight 

At last he plunged his sword in deep — 
Deep in the monster’s head. 

It thundered out one heavy groan. 

The Minotaur was dead. 

Then darkness fell, but Theseus led 
His weary maids and men, 

(By holding fast the guiding thread), 
Out to the world again. 

Ted caught Cupid’s hand in his, hold- 
ing it tightly, “That was a grand fight, 
wasn’t it, Cupid? Don’t you love to 
hear about fights?” 

Cupid smiled: “Not just the kind 
that you do, Ted. The sort I prefer” — 
[ 126 ] 


TED AND CUPID. 


But just then Jupiter’s voice came 
thundering to them, “What are you 
two boys whispering about? Cupid, go 
to the door, and say ‘How do you do’ 
to Aurora.” 

Teddy hung back timidly while 
Cupid tripped over to shake hands with 
a lovely goddess, seated in a carriage all 
covered with rosy blossoms. She looked 
like some flower herself. 

[ 127 ] 


TED IN MYTHLAND 


“She’s — she’s lovely,” whispered Ted. 
“She makes me think of — I don’t know 
what exactly but” — 

“Were you ever up early in the morn- 
ing to see the dawn come?” asked Apollo 
softly. 

“Yes, once. Why?” 

“Because that is what Aurora makes 
you think of.” 

“So it is!” cried Ted delightedly. 
“I’d like to look at her all the time, she’s 
so lovely.” 

“Don’t wish that,” said the sun-god, 
gravely. “A man did once, and he was 
sorry for it. His name was Tithonus; 
and I’ll tell you what happened to him.” 

Ted kept his eyes on Aurora’s lovely 
face while Apollo began: 


[ 128 ] 


A CRICKET SONG 


Now this is a tale of Aurora — 

The flower-like goddess of dawn. 

She lets the sun out of the heavens 
As soon as the stars are all gone. 

Her wings are of butterfly colors : 

Of crimson and purple and gold. 
Aurora will always be lovely 

Because she can never grow old. 

She once fell in love with Tithonus, 
Tithonus, a mortal like you. 

“One wish you may have,’’ said Aurora, 
But I promise that one shall come 
true.” 

Tithonus, who loved her unwisely, 
Looked foolish, and said with a sigh, 
“I want to he with you forever; 

So I wish that I never may die.” 
[ 129 ] 


TED IN MYTHLAND 


Alas and alack for Tithonus! 

He forgot that he’d have to grow old. 
When he was a hundred, he shrivelled, 
And shivered and shook with the 
cold. 

The wish of Tithonus was granted; 

tBut when he had lost all his hair, 

He was old and unhappy and ugly — 
While Aurora stayed youthful and 
fair. 

He shrivelled and shrivelled and shriv- 
elled 

Until he was two inches long. 

Aurora then made him a cricket, 

And I heard him a-chirping this song. 

Towards the end of the song, Ted 
suddenly stopped gazing at Aurora, 
beautiful as she was. He looked down 
[ 130 ] 


TED IN MYTHLAND 


at his feet, in order to see whether he 
himself had shrunk any ; but they 
seemed just about as far away as usual. 
He sat silent for a minute, and then 
asked, “Is Tithonus the same kind of 
a cricket we have at home?” 

“The very same,” said Cupid. 

Ted looked puzzled, “See here, 
Cupid,” he said, “all of those stories 
about love are sad. Every single time, 
one of your people has loved a lot and 
the other one hasn’t cared a bit. Now 
don’t deny it. There was Apollo and 
Daphne, and then Clytie, and now Ti- 
thonus. Why didn’t you shoot more 
carefully, Cupid?” 

Cupid looked a little ashamed of him- 
self : “Well, it does seem as if I’ve 
often made a muddle of things,” he ad- 
mitted, “but there’s an old woman called 
[ 131 ] 


TED IN MYTHLAND 

Nemesis who always makes it up later, 
to those who haven’t been loved. And 
then, too, I’ve made some very happy 
lovers, and some that loved each other in 
spite of everything. Now I’m very 
proud of Pyramus and Thisbe. They 
were not allowed to meet, even though 
they lived next door to each other. But 
I showed them some cracks in the high 
wall between their gardens, so that they 
could talk. At last, early one morning, 
they both ran away from home to meet 
at the foot of a white mulberry tree. 
Poor things! They died just as they 
got there and — but there’s Apollo be- 
ginning to sing about them now. 
Listen !” 

And Ted heard : 


[ 132 ] 


PYRAMUS AND THISBE 


The wind is ruffling the mulberry leaves, 
As it blusters in from the sea: 

“Why are the berries so red — so red — 
That hang from the mulberry tree?” 

“Have you never heard of Thisbe, 
then,” 

The leaves are answering low, 

“And of her lover, Pyramus, 

Who died here, long ago? 

“They were kept apart by a ragged 
wall, 

Each shut in his garden fair; 

Their whispers heard by the lilies tall 
And the climbing roses there ; 

[ 133 ] 


TED IN MYTHLAND 


“Till they met at last beneath my 
boughs — 

Sore wounded — dying — dead ! 

My roots were crimsoned deep with 
blood — 

My berries stained with red.” 

The wind is light and gentler now 
As it wafts away to the sea — 

And the crimson berries swing and sway 
From the boughs of the mulberry 
tree ! 

Ted looked just as unhappy as ever 
when this song was finished: “Well, 
that was a sad enough story, too, I think. 
How did they happen to die, Cupid?” 

“They killed themselves,” said Cupid, 
in a low tone, “because each one thought 
the other dead.” He shivered a little. 
“I don’t like to think about such things. 
[ 134 ] 


TED IN MYTHLAND 


Why do you bother me? There were 
plenty of happy lovers, and, as I told 
you before, for the unhappy ones old 
Mother Nemesis” — 

“Who is she?” 

“Just listen, and you’ll find out,” said 
Cupid, glad to change the subject, and 
Ted heard Apollo begin: 


[ 135 ] 


NEMESIS 


There sits by a high, brazen tower, 
With high, brazen, double-barred 
gates, 

The old Mother Nemesis — watching — 
The silent old woman, who waits 

For the very right moment to punish; 

For the very right moment to bless; 
She gives us just what we’re deserving: 
Neither more — nor a particle less. 

She sees that the guilty are punished ; 

She gives to the friendless a friend; 
She watches the ones that are wretched, 
And evens it all in the end. 

So if you are boastful or selfish, 

Be sure that in time you will pay ; 

[ 136 ] 


TED IN MYTHLAND 


And if you have sorrowed and suffered, 

I think you’ll be happy some day. 

For Nemesis never has blundered. 

She sits by the big, brazen gates. 
And gives us just what we’re deserving. 

She’s watching us now — as she waits. 

Ted felt very uncomfortable at the 
thought of the grim old woman watch- 
ing him. But he cheered up when he 
considered how he had suffered when he 
had had the mumps. Then he was 
struck with another thought. 

“It must have been Mother Nemesis 
who punished Poly crates,” he said 
aloud. 

“Of course it was,” said Apollo, who 
had come nearer. “That old king had 
entirely too much luck.” 

[ 187 ] 


TED IN MYTHLAND 


Then he added, “Come over here, 
Ted. I see that Cupid has left, and 
somebody must look after you until 
Mercury comes back.” 

“Where has Cupid gone?” asked Ted. 
He had been so interested that he had 
hardly noticed Cupid as he flew away. 

“Gone to find Psyche, of course,” 
said the sun-god, shortly. “Anybody 
would know that.” 

“Do sing about her,” pleaded Teddy. 
“Cupid has never mentioned her to me 
once. I wonder why?” 

“Because he loves her too much to 
gossip about her,” Apollo answered 
crossly. “I never saw such a boy as you 
for wondering. As for a song, couldn’t 
you see in the last one that my voice was 
hoarse?” 

Ted felt the tears coming to his eyes, 
[ 138 ] 


TED IN MYTHLAND 


but he forced them back, and said noth- 
ing. Apollo smiled this time: “Now 
you’re learning how to behave yourself. 
— I won’t tell you that story, because 
it’s a very sad one, and I heard you say 
that you didn’t like that kind. But I 
will tell }^ou this much : that Psyche was 
a mortal, and so beautiful that Venus, 
herself was jealous. And Cupid and 
Psyche loved each other from the very 
first just as faithfully as they love to- 
day. Now Jupiter has made her a god- 
dess; but she never feels quite at home 
with us here, on account of Venus. And 
whenever you miss Cupid at a party, 
you may be sure that he has gone to 
look for Psyche. For all I know, he 
may be bringing her here now.” 

Ted looked about to see whether 
Cupid and Psyche had come in, but they 

r iso] 



KING NEPTUNE. 


were nowhere to be seen. He brought 
his gaze back to Jupiter, who was say- 
ing: “Here comes the King of the Sea. 
Late, as usual, Brother Neptune.” 

Ted turned towards the open door 
quickly, and saw a chariot made of big, 
curling green waves that always seemed 
ready to crash and never did. The 
manes of the horses looked like tossing, 
[ 140 ] 



white foam ; and 
in the chariot 
sat old, white 
haired Neptune, 
god of the sea. 

He made his 
bow to Jupiter 
without alight- 
ing, and said in 
a hoarse voice, 

“I just drove in 
to say how do 
you do. I can’t 
stay a minute. 

Brother iEolus 
has let his winds 
loose on earth, the bottom of the sea. 
and I must hurry back to calm a storm 
on my ocean. Farewell!” 

[ 141 ] 


TED IN MYTHLAND 


There was the sound of crashing 
waves; and Neptune, chariot, horses and 
all were swallowed up in a big, billowy 
cloud just outside the door. 

“There he goes, back to the bottom 
of the sea again,” said Apollo. “I hardly 
ever go there n^self because I don’t 
like to get wet, but I know what it’s 
like.” 

“How do you know so well what it’s 
like?” inquired Teddy. 

“Well,” said Apollo, touching his 
lyre : 


[ 142 ] 


THE KING OF THE SEA 


The king of the sea spoke thus to me: 

“When my Brother, the Wind, is fair, 
I climb up here where the sea is blue. 
And the yellow sunfish flash at you 
Till the water flashes golden, too, 
From my winding silver stair. 

“My silver stairway winds deep down 
To the roots of the ocean mold. 

The trees take on a coral hint; 

The leaves, a tender, opal glint; 

And every flower a sea-blue tint, 

With stem of palest gold. 

“I hear my mermaids singing low: 

‘Come back to your garden sea!’ 

I long to touch the pearl and shell; 

I long to whiff the seaweed smell; 

I hear — I hear the deep-sea bell! 
Would you like to come with me?” 
[ 143 ] 


TED IN MYTHLAND 


“I’d like it very much myself,” Ted 
remarked. Apollo kept on playing 
softly, and did not speak until Ted be- 
gan to move about restlessly. 

“What is the trouble, Ted?” 

“I didn’t understand that song very 
well,” the boy answered. “I’d like to 
hear about the people who live down 
there besides the king and oh — lots of 
things. Is there a queen of the sea too?” 

“Did I forget to mention her?” smiled 
Apollo. “That was careless of me. 
Her name is Amphitrite, and she is a 
very beautiful queen. We, at Olympus, 
find it hard to remember that there is 
a mortal present and sometimes we for- 
get to tell about things that all the 
gods know already. But now I’ll try 
to leave nothing out. I’m going to sing 
about : 


[ 144 ] 


THE GARDEN OF THE SEA 
The Queen of the Sea has a garden 
Which is deep in a wave of blue; 
And golden shadows touch the trees 
Where sunlight filters through. 

Her crown is of amber and coral, 

Her girdle of coral complete; 

And necklaces of milk-white pearls 
Swing half way down to her feet. 

She rules in the garden with Neptune, 
Over every flower and tree, 

And all of the little sea kings and 
queens 

That dwell in the depths of the sea. 

The fifty young daughters of Nep- 
tune — 

The nymphs of the water — are there ; 
[ 145 ] 


TED IN MYTHLAND 


And mermaids, swimming around and 
round, 

Are braiding their yellow hair. 

There’s the wonderful sea-god, Triton, 
The fish that is half a man, 

Who has blown the storms through a 
crooked shell 
Ever since storms began ; 

And the Father and Mother of Rivers, 
And a god with a beard of blue, 

And Harpies, the makers of whirlwinds, 
Who have their own work to do. 

And there is the Watcher of Ship- 
wrecks : 

The treasures of spars and sails 
And chests of silver and chests of gold 
And silken stuff in bales. 

[ 146 ] 


TED IN MYTHLAND 


The strangest of all are the Sirens, 

The singers whose lightest breath, 
So low and wild and danger-sweet, 

Can lure men down to their death. 

All of these dwell in the garden, 

Deep down in a wave of blue, 

With golden shadows here and there 
Where sunlight filters through, 

Except on the days that are cloudy- 
For all of them cannot be clear. 

The wheels of the world of the sea go 
round 

Very much as the wheels go here. 

“That sounds very nice,” said Juno, 
“but they have awful storms down 
there. Where is old iEolus, anyway, 
to-day? Here’s Mercury. I dare say 
he knows.” 


[ 147 ] 


TED IN MYTHLAND 


Mercury whizzed in, a little out of 
breath. 

“Your Majesty,” he reported, “Mars 
is attending a war that’s going on down 
on earth. He’s sorry he can’t come, but 
the game is too exciting to leave.” 

Jupiter frowned, and shivered a lit- 
tle, “Mars hardly ever comes to my 
parties any more. I shall have to for- 
bid wars on earth if this goes on. Why 
in Olympus is it so cold here?” 

“It’s probably Father Wind’s fault,” 
said Juno. “His winds reach all the 
way up here sometimes.” 

Mercury smiled: “Yes, they’ve been 
stirring up things down there; but 
Neptune’s gone back to help quiet 
them; and anyhow the winds are never 
naughty for very long at a time, are 
they Apollo?” 


[ 148 ] 


TED IN MYTHLAND 


Apollo shook his head, “Too long 
for me,” he said. “This boy is your 
company, Mercury. Why don’t you 
tell him what happens when the Winds 
break loose?” 

“I don’t mind,” said Mercury. And 
he began at once : 


[ 149 ] 


THE WINDS 

The North Wind rushed in with a roar 
That froze the air and banged the door; 
The East Wind blew in, chill and damp; 
The West Wind blasted out the lamp, 
And burned away the northern frost. 
The gentle Southern Breeze was lost. 

The Father Wind, old iEolus, 

Now called his brood together: 

“How dare you keep me from my rest? 
This is outrageous weather!” 

The Brother Winds were sorry now 
That they had made this fearful row. 
The North Wind shifted — crisp and 
fair: 

A habit it should ever wear. 

The East Wind tempered down to be 
A pleasant blowing from the sea. 

[ 150 ] 


TED IN MYTHLAND 


The West Wind swept its fervent heat 
To chilly lands of snow and sleet; 

And left, astir among the trees, 

The flower-laden Southern Breeze. 

“That’s better now!” cried Father 
Wind, 

And clapped his hands together. 

“A man can take his nap in peace. 

I call this pleasant weather.” 

Ted was quiet for a moment after 
Mercury had finished. Then he said, 
“I’d like to hear about the biggest storm 
there ever was. Do you know the 
story?” 

Mercury frowned: “You are getting 
greedy, Ted. Besides, there have been 
so many big storms in the world that 
one couldn’t well choose the greatest 


one. 


[ 151 ] 


TED IN MYTHLAND 


Ted looked as if he were sorry he had 
spoken. And then Mercury added, 
quickly: “Well, I don’t mind telling 
about the biggest rainstorm there ever 
was. I really should have told the story 
long ago, for it happened at the very 
beginning of things.” It was called: 


[ 152 ] 


THE BIG FLOOD 


’Twas raining and raining and raining. 

’Twas raining a regular flood ; 

And all of the rivers were brimming, 
And most of the mountains were mud. 

So Pyrrha, the housewife, went run- 
ning, 

And with her Deucalion, her man, 

To the top of a solid, high mountain — 
All drenched with the wet, as they 
ran. 

At the top they were trembling with 
terror, 

For the rivers had spread to a sea, 
That was rising and rising and rising — 
Only leaving the high places free. 

[ 153 ] 


TED IN MYTHLAND 


“Why, here is an axe!” cried Deucalion. 

“Now, why in the world should it be?” 
“The gods must have sent it,” said 
Pyrrha, 

“To carve out a boat from a tree.” 

Well, they hewed and they cut and they 
builded, 

Till the waters rose up to their knees; 
And into the tree-boat they hurried 
And floated away at their ease. 

And then it rained harder than ever 
Till the passing of nine stormy days; 
When it cleared, and the water went 
sinking 

And shrank into rivers and bays. 

It left the frail boat on a hill-top: 
“Ah, Pyrrha,” Deucalion said; 

[ 154 ] 


TED IN MYTHLAND 


“We two are alone in the world now, 
For the rest of the people are dead. 

“And I fear that our lives will be lonely 
Without a near neighbor or two; 

And if you will follow my orders, 

I think we can find just a few. 

“Now help me to gather the stones here, 
And help fling them back to the 
ground. 

Be sure, though, to throw them all back- 
wards, 

And don’t, for your life, look 
around. 

They flung the stones over their 
shoulders 

Very quickly and carefully, too, 

But gave not a single glance backwards 
Until they were finally through. 

[ 155 ] 


TED IN MYTHLAND 


Then lo ! all the stones that were 
Pyrrha’s 

Were turning to women; and then 
The bigger ones, thrown by her hus- 
band, 

Were turning to sturdy young men. 

The stones kept a-growing and grow- 
ing, 

Till the world was all peopled anew 
With hundreds of eager young neigh- 
bors. 

I hope they were good ones — don’t 
you? 

"I hope so too,” Ted declared. What 
are you going to tell about next, Mer- 
cury?” 

Mercury chuckled. “What would 
you like to hear about, Ted? You look 
[ 156 ] 


TED IN MYTHLAND 


as if you wanted a particular story. If 
you do, just speak out.” 

“Well,” Ted began, “I haven’t heard 
nearly enough about Hercules. Didn’t 
you say something about a stag with 
golden horns? What is a stag, and how 
did Hercules catch it?” 

“Apollo must have spoken of that 
labor while I was gone,” answered 
Mercury. “It happens to be a favorite 
story of mine, however, so I’d like to 
tell it. You may find it a little hard 
to understand, but I’ll make it as clear 
as possible. First of all, you must know 
that a stag is the brother of deer. This 
happened to be an enchanted stag, and 
the master of Hercules thought, ‘N ow at 
last I’ve found a task too difficult for 
this giant Hercules. For there is a stag 
who runs on magic feet, so swift that 
[ 157 ] 


TED IN MYTHLAND 


nobody has ever caught more than 
a glimpse of him. Hercules/ he called 
out, 'go and capture that stag/ Well,' 
if you must have the story in all its de- 
tails, and of course, nothing else will 
satisfy you, here it is ; 


[ 158 ] 


THE STAG WITH THE 
GOLDEN HORNS 


Hercules raced through the forest 
brush — 

Ardent and brave and bold — - 
After the flash of a body brown — 
After a glimmer of gold; 

Hunting the stag with the golden horns ; 

Swifter than horse or hound, 

Surer than man on his magic feet 
Over the moss covered ground. 

Hercules hunted for weeks and months 
Till there had passed a year. 

He laid deep traps and shallow traps 
To tempt the shyest deer. 

[ I-™ ] 


TED IN MYTHLAND 


It didn’t need striking or strength this 
time; 

It didn’t need cunning or skill ; 

But merely a patience to know how to 
wait, 

And a masterful, dogged will. 

“Ah, you stag of the golden horns, 

I am weary with bruise and fall! 

But long as I live I never will yield 
In this hardest labor of all.” 

At last one day as the twilight fell, 
Weary, but never so bold, 

He touched the stag with the body brown 
And grasped the horns of gold. 

He never did harm the trembling thing 
And I think you should understand 
That he simply was learning the way to 
fight 

With head and heart and hand. 

[ 160 ] 


TED IN MYTHLAND 

It didn’t need striking or strength this 
time; 

It didn’t need cunning or skill; 

But merely a patience to know how to 
wait, 

And a masterful, dogged will. 

As Mercury ceased, Jupiter said 

slowly, “Apollo, it seems to me you 
might tell something about me once in 
a while.” And Apollo answered gaily, 
“Why, I was just going to sing about 
that visit you and Mercury paid to good 
old Baucis and Philemon. Only, I must 
tune my lyre again first.” 

Jupiter settled himself comfortably 
on his throne, but Mercury pulled Ted’s 
sleeve. 

“Time to go home,” he said. 

“Oh, can’t I stay for just one more 
song?” 


[ 161 ] 


TED IN MYTHLAND 


Mercury shook his head. 

“I promised to get you back to your 
own party; and we’ve got to start this 
minute to do it.” 

“But I ought to say good-bye.” 

“I’ll say that for you,” insisted Mer- 
cury. 

Ted saw there was no use in arguing, 
but as Mercury hurried him toward the 
doors, he turned his head for one last 
look at the lofty, golden walls, and the 
beautiful stately figures of the gods, 
grouped about Apollo and his lyre. 

Mercurjr lifted his stick, and Ted’s 
eyes closed; but as they swooped down 
into the clouds he could hear the first 
words of Apollo’s song : 

“Would you like to know why the 
Linden tree 

And the Oak grow side by side?” 

[ 162 ] “ 



MOTHER WAS OPENING THE DOOR. 


[ 163 ] 


TED IN MYTHLAND 


“Indeed I would,” said Ted dreamily 
— and opened his eyes to find himself 
at home on the couch in the library 
again. 

Right in front of him the little bronze 
Mercury on the mantelpiece was run- 
ning as hard as ever; and Ted’s mother 
was opening the door, with his best 
white suit over her arm. 

“Time to get ready for the party, 
Teddums,” she said. 

The little boy sat up and kicked off 
the brown steamer rug. 

“Yes, mother,” he said aloud, but 
added to himself, “Mercury was right. 
We just did have time to get here.” 

When he was all dressed, and his 
mother had rustled out again, Ted lin- 
gered a moment: 

“Did I dream all of that, Mercury,” 

[ 164 ] 


TED IN MYTHLAND 


he whispered, gazing earnestly at the 
little bronze man, “or was it real?” 

Mercury smiled, “You’ll have to de- 
cide that for yourself, Ted.” 

“Will I ever go again?” 

Mercury shook his head. 

“Won’t I ever see any of the gods or 
hear Pan’s music or see the dryads?” 

“Oh, yes, you’re one of the people who 
will hear Pan’s music sometimes. And 
as for the dryads — Well, listen! This 
is my very last word, for I shall not 
be allowed to speak again. If you 
don’t understand, I can’t explain, but 
this much is certain: 

The dryads lived ages ago — 

At least, so the histories say — 
But for you and for me 
Who are able to see, 

The dryads are living to-day.” 

[ 165 ] 













































































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